FIA bans DRS for Eau Rouge corner

After speculation earlier today, the FIA has announced that the Drag Reduction System will be banned for the Eau Rouge corner.

The DRS system will be blocked from after the La Source hairpin (Turn 1) all the way until the exit of Radillion (second half of Eau Rouge).

However, it has also emerged that this is not just a driver issue. Team engineers have noted that the open rear wing would not be able to close if a driver hit the brakes through Eau Rouge. This would apparently lead to the rear wing possibly becoming stuck open for the rest of the lap. This issue is believed to be because of Eau Rouge’s high downforce/speed/incline combination.

Also, going far too quickly through Eau Rouge can lead to massive crashes – see Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta in 1999 (both drivers had agreed to take the corner flat out before the qualifying session).

The DRS zone for the race will be placed after Radillion, and will continue on until the Les Combes complex.